(Newser)
–
Illicitly bought prescription
drugs have killed more than a dozen people in California who were
expecting something much weaker. A CDC report
released Tuesday warns that hospitals in the Bay Area have recently
treated at least seven patients who overdosed after taking what they
thought was Norco, a medium-strength opioid painkiller. The pills
actually contained fentanyl, a far more powerful drug that's 100 times
more potent than morphine, according to the CDC. The Bay Area patients
survived, but Sacramento County officials have reported 12 deaths linked to fake Norco in recent weeks, with another two fatal overdoses in neighboring Yolo County.

Health officials obtained one of
the fake pills from a Bay Area patient and discovered that it was an
exact replica of a Norco pill, Medical Daily
reports. Finding the source of the fakes "is our number one priority
based out of San Francisco," a DEA special agent in the city tells the AP.
"We definitely want to connect the dots where we can." The CDC report
says fake medicine containing fentanyl is an "emerging and serious
public health threat" and that it's vital for the general public to
realize the "significant risks to life and health when purchasing what
appears to be prescription medications from any source other than a
reputable pharmacy or health care provider." (Experts are very worried
about a new street drug that's 100 times more powerful than fentanyl—and still legal.)